More cowbell needed: Blue Öyster Cult’s top 5 lyrics

By: Rachael MonacoJul 6, 2015

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Blue Öyster Cult has found the most success with heavy metal and hard rock music. The lineup that was the most commercially successful, and lasted the longest included Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, Allen Lanier, Joe Bouchard and Albert Bouchard.

Saturday Night Live did a parody of Blue Öyster Cult's song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The infamous “more cowbell” skit features Will Farrell on the cowbell and Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson, who demanded, repeatedly, “more cowbell” on the recording of the song.

Blue Öyster Cult released their self-titled debut album in 1972. The band is still touring and has several 2015 American dates posted on their website. After over 40 years and a few lineup changes Blue Öyster Cult has remained one of America’s most notable hard rock and heavy metal bands. What are Blue Öyster Cult’s five best song lyrics or verses?

5. “Veteran of the Psychic Wars”: The song title comes from a lyric in a Hawkwind song “Standing on the Edge”. Included on Blue Öyster Cult’s 1981 album Fire of Unknown Origin, an extended version was released on the 1982 album Extraterrestrial Live. The song was written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock. The best verse of “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” is, "You see me now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars. I've been living on the edge so long, where the winds of limbo roar. And I'm young enough to look at, and far too old to see. All the scars are on the inside. I'm not sure that there's anything left of me."

4. “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll”: Included on the band’s 1972 self-titled album, “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll” was inspired by “The Wizard”, a song on Black Sabbath’s debut album . Written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser and Albert Bouchard, “Cities On Flame with Rock and Roll” is often a featured song at Blue Öyster Cult concerts. On albums recorded live the name of the song is often shortened to “Cites on Flame”. The best verse of the song is, "My heart is black, and my lips are cold. Cities on flame with rock and roll. Three thousand guitars they seem to cry. My ears will melt, and then my eyes. Oh, let the girl, let that girl, rock and roll. Cities on flame now, with rock and roll want to say on the road forever.”

3. “Godzilla”: Blue Öyster Cult’s tribute to the iconic monster portrayed on film, the band included the song on their 1977 album Spectress. The fifth single, “Godzilla” became one of the group’s best known songs and has been covered by several bands. There have also been a few parodies of the song recorded. The best verse of the song is, "With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound. He pulls the spitting high tension wires down. Helpless people on a subway train. Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them."

2. “Burnin’ for You”: Included on the 1981 album Fire of Unknown Origin, “Burnin’ for You” not only is one of Blue Öyster Cult’s most popular songs, the video received heavy rotation on the new music station MTV when it launched in August 1981. “Burnin’ for You” claimed the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks in the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The best verse of the song is, "Burn out the day. Burn out the night. I can't see no reason to put up a fight. I'm living for giving the devil his due. And I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you."

1.“(Don’t Fear)The Reaper”: Included on the 1976 album Agents of Fortune, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was one of Blue Öyster Cult’s biggest hits. When it was released as an edited single the song peaked at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is listed at number 397 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All-time. The best verse of the song is, "Valentine is done. Here but now they're gone. Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity. Romeo and Juliet. 40,000 men and women everyday like Romeo and Juliet. 40,000 men and women everyday redefine happiness. Another 40,000 coming every day. We can be like they are. Come on baby, don't fear the reaper."

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